Leaving Jack Alone
by Rangerbaldwin
Summary: Jack and Sam married, but someone is not happy. This wouldn't load properly at Heliopolis.


Author: Lynda  (SG1ER AT YAHOO.COM)

Title: Leaving Jack Alone

Summary/Warning: Relax. Sam temporarily runs away. 10 years post marriage…did I mention they're married in this one?

Slight A/U for reasons I can't explain here.

Feedback: Yes. Lots.

The door to Jack's office was closed, the blinds drawn. Sam and Jack had been secluded within all morning. Still, every airman nearby heard the yelling part of the argument, which had been raging for some time.

"Sam! Don't! Don't do this!" came his voice.

And then hers, "I'm going, Jack! You can't make me stay!"

"When did you get this idea? What's come over you?" he asked.

"Oh, sure, a man can have a midlife crisis, or cheat on his spouse and it's just boys being boys, but a woman gets the nerve to change her life and it's 'What's wrong with you?' Well, mister, I'm going!" 

"But...I don't WANT you to!"

"This isn't about what you want, Jack. I've changed. You have, too, and it's time for me to get away. I don't want to be with you...or anyone! I have another job and a place of my own...don't touch me!"

"Please, Sam, please, don't go...what did I do wrong?" His voice had lowered, but a group of airmen cowered by the office door and could easily hear everything.

"It's what you haven't done...you don't cook, don't clean, and--"

Sam O'Neill opened the door to leave, startling those outside, who dispersed in a flurry of sudden busyness. She finished, "--you're a bore in bed!"

The door slammed as Sam left. She carried with her a briefcase and that was all. Jack didn't follow, much to the surprise of his staff. After all, team O'Neill had been in control for the last ten years, running the SGC more smoothly than anyone imagined they would. Now it appeared they were splitting up and after Sam's last comment, it could be for good.

Jack couldn't believe she was leaving him just like that. She'd been stewing for the last two days and he'd tried to get her to open up to him, but she wouldn't. He'd tried seduction, but that was a no-go, also. Now, she was leaving him alone.

Well, not totally alone. There were the quintuplets. Both sets.

Eight-year-old girls with brown hair and their father's dark brown eyes. His daughters were different from each other, even though they were identical.

Hannah was the family musician. Charlotte liked sports. Victoria was serious about art. Suzanne watched action movies and read a lot in her free time. Danielle took her hamster everywhere, and played piano along with Hannah.

The younger set were all boys with their mother's blonde hair and big, doe eyes. Get all the boys talking at once and you were talked into ice cream for dinner before you knew it.  His sons were in afternoon kindergarten this year, and all ten children stayed at the after school daycare starting at three o'clock.  Hank, Jacob, Victor, Doug and Timothy had yet to develop a favorite pastime, but they did well taking care of the family dog, Basil. 

Sam had told him in quieter conversation that she would be by to visit everyone, but she didn't know when. She'd composed a sneak attack in the last two days, packing up a few personal things and leasing an apartment of her own. Kindly, she hadn't cleaned out their bank account. Taking care of the children would be up to Jack; that was very clear.

Two Weeks Later:

Jack pinched himself, trying to wake up from the nightmare. This couldn't be happening in the waking world. But he just said, "ow," and flopped in the chair in his office. No dream was this, but real life.

The colonel sat at his desk, plotting how to get the girls to their many after school activities. He had to attend a parent-teacher conference for Charlotte and Suzanne, who were in the same class. Then it was getting Charlotte to soccer practice, Hannah and Danielle to piano, and Victoria to art class.  Suzanne needed to get home and do her homework and help him look after the boys.

Jack 's head was swimming. He had been leaving work every day at two-thirty and finally had three days off next week, when embassy parties weren't one a night anymore. He hated having limited vacation time, but that came with the territory of being Colonel.

He hadn't had time to find a daycare provider. It seemed his and Sam's old stand-ins had sided with her and somehow disliked him, but he couldn't fathom how. Jacob Carter was offworld a lot more, suddenly.  Daniel and Teal'c were too smart to help him raise ten children or get in the middle of something involving Sam.  

Jack sighed and came to the conclusion that the girls would just have to be late for practice. Then his phone rang and he got one piece of good news...he could go in at lunch for the parent-teacher conference. That would ease his after school stress greatly.

Sam had stopped by each Saturday to spend time with the children.  She had driven them to see where she was staying now, taken them for a trip to the park, and dropped them off promptly for dinner. They were allowed to call her for anything. Jack was not. She seemed to be a totally different woman.

Although Jack had a couple of SF's from the base watching her, they couldn't tell him much.  She wasn't seeing someone. Work was done from home, apparently. No unusual packages were delivered. No calls out of the ordinary.

When Jack saw Sam the second time, he tried to tell her how much Suzanne missed her, but she seemed oblivious. He asked her to talk with their child, anyway. Since then, their daughter's mood hadn't changed very much so Jack was keeping a closer eye on her.

He had assigned the children chores, like picking out school clothes the night before and cleaning up their rooms, just to help him out. Every few nights, he had them round up their clothes to be washed, so anything not in the laundry bin at the appropriate time wouldn't get cleaned. The kid who did the best job on their chores got a treat, like picking the movie of the week, dinner, or staying up for an extra half-hour on Friday night.

Jack stood and locked the door to his office. He double-checked that the blinds were closed. Tightly. Sitting again, he put his head down on his arms and cried. He missed Sam, needed her, and wanted her back worse than ever.

A key jiggled in the lock, but he didn't care. Whoever it was could go ahead and come in. Then the thought came to him that only a few people had the key to his office. Must be important if they wanted in so much.

"Jack, stop that," Sam ordered him. "What on Earth are you crying for?"

"Well, you're gone, and . . . " He sniffled, having raised his head to answer her.

"Come on, Jack, we don't get written this way." She comforted him, hugging her to him.

"Written?"

"No, of course not. This story only has one purpose." Sam promised.

"Uh, what's that?" Jack was clueless.

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"APRIL FOOL'S!!!"


End file.
